Attic Dilema
by Assassin of the Shadows
Summary: A birthday gift one-shot. (BakuraRyou) Rated for the occassional swear, Ryou and Bakura are both suffering some inner thoughts, how lucky that a few fated songs are able to bring them closer.


Oh my goodness. It's a Gary Allan-athon!

B.D: Yes, thanks for doing this for me. I know not a lot of people like country, hell I don't even like country that much, but Gary is hot!

n n;; okay I wouldn't go that far, but I love Gary Allan's music!

B.D: Thank you for writing this for me; it's a great present.

You are most certainly welcome, best birthday gift I could give that wouldn't cost me a penny!

B.D: How considerate of you... -.-

* * *

**ATTIC DILEMA**

He didn't know why he was doing this. Of all things, this would only prove to anyone who has ever met him that yes, he was indeed, pathetic. "I can't believe I'm cleaning up the attic..." Ryou sighed in self-pity.

It had started earlier in the morning, him humming a cheerful tune and Bakura grumbling into the kitchen-

::Flash Back::

"Alright! Damnit, enough with the happy!" Bakura growled harshly.

Ryou began laughing loudly. Seeing Bakura with his hair rumpled, eyes squinted, and a frown on his face was cute, seeing Bakura slouched over holding onto the doorframe was die worthy. "Fuck you." Bakura snapped, plopping into the chair.

Ryou found his laughter dieing away rather quickly, the sour look on Bakura's face seemed to deepen even when he put a plate of breakfast in front of him.

"I can cook for myself thank you." Bakura said in a harsh tone, yet there was confusion as well, he knew Ryou enjoyed cooking, but cooking for him was not always easy.

Ryou frowned at his dark's response, "I know you can, I just thought it would be nice to cook breakfast for you. You're going to need that extra energy later right?"

Bakura was now even more confused, "Extra energy? For what?"

Ryou blinked down at him, "For helping me clean out the attic." He finally replied softly.

Bakura shrugged and with a look of indifference said, "Look, change of plans. I'm going to skip this rather pathetic excuse for a meal and go over to Malik's."

A look of hurt passed through Ryou's cheerful expression, "Why?" He couldn't help but ask because he could completely understand if it was some emergency.

"Malik called last night and asked if I was busy-"

"And you _are_ busy." Ryou interjected, "You said you would help me."

"I was not aware that-"

"Bakura! You said you would help me clean the attic; you even _promised_ you would clean the attic, because most of the mess was caused by you! You _promised_ to help me yesterday afternoon!" Ryou argued.

"Well like I said! CHANGE. OF. PLANS! I decided last night that I would go to Malik's and actually _enjoy_ my day. You can sit here, clean the house if you want to, I'd rather spend my summer having fun, than doing chores like some house wife!" Bakura shot back.

Ryou growled and narrowed his eyes down at his yami, "But-!"

"No buts! I don't care, I'm leaving!"

"But Bakura... you promised." Ryou mumbled in a broken voice, he sounded deeply hurt and as if he were about to break out into tears.

His only reply was the screeching of the chair as it was shoved back from the table and Bakura walking over to the door. _This morning couldn't get any worse..._ He thought to himself.

**GOKII!! **(Wham! Impact of the plate hitting the door.)

**BARII!! **(Crunch! Plate cracking.)

**PACHIN!! **(Kachink! Plate pieces falling to the ground) (!)

_Oh no, of course it can..._ Bakura muttered in his mind. He didn't turn around, and he didn't look back. He just put on his shoes grabbed a jacket and walked out the door. Leaving Ryou angry, hurt, and with yet another mess caused by him.

::End Flash Back::

Just remembering what had happened that morning made Ryou want to sit in a dusty corner and cry, yet another part deep inside that rarely showed itself, wanted to throw and destroy everything in his vision; much like that innocent plate.

He sniffed and could once again feel the tell tale pricks of tears behind his eyes. "Stupid d-dust." He choked, but he was only making a feeble excuse. Ryou really cared for Bakura, and it hurt even more to know that Bakura _knew_ this.

When he confessed his feelings to his yami, he was immediately waiting for one of two things to happen. One, his yami would return his feelings. Or two, his yami would be completely disgusted with him and beat the life from his lungs.

Surprisingly, none of these happened. In reality Bakura took the confession rather well, and completely understood what Ryou must have been going through; but that didn't mean he accepted. Bakura had gently told him he saw no real interest in Ryou, as it was like having an interest for himself.

Needless to say Ryou was crushed, and had done a very good act of showing that he was okay with Bakura's decision.

He cried himself to sleep for a week, and whenever Bakura asked if he was all right, he would lie and say he was fine.

He thought that if he just ignored his feelings for his dark side they would eventually go away; but that did not happen, those feelings worsened and became something deeper. What was once a safe to say crush, turned into a confused and hurt filled love.

So now here he was, alone, cleaning up after Bakura yet again. Was he angry? Yes, but that did not mean he would take it out on his belongings.

He was moving another cardboard box and closed his eyes in frustration as the bottom tore open sending all the contents to the floor, causing wave after wave of dust to fill the area. He threw the box away in frustration and began stacking the contents. Most of it was an old toy he once owned, some were old children books; but what really caught his attention was that his photo album was also in this box.

"Well what do you know, I was looking all over the house for this, and it was here the whole time?" Another thing he noticed was that, everything that was once in the box had it's own share of dust, but the album, did not.

Being that he was tired, dirty, sweaty, had a nice film of dust on all his clothes, and was making little to no progress by himself; he sat down on the attic's floor and opened the worn leather binding to find pictures of him.

His family was very organized, and each family member had a very thick album that contained pictures of nothing but themselves. This was Ryou's album that held pictures from when he was still inside his mother's womb to this present day.

He groaned as he came upon the one of his eighth birthday. Oh it was one of the many events in which he wished he could erase. On his eighth birthday he was forced by his mother to invite everyone in his neighborhood, seeing as how he had half the children on his invite list. Unfortunately one of those children happened to be Ace; his most hated enemy. Two guesses were all that was needed to know that Ace made his birthday a living hell, right down to the classic "face plant" of the cake.

And there it was; two pictures of the before and after shots of the event. He had to admit, after ignoring the fact that it was himself he was looking at, the photos themselves were hilarious. The first shot was of him sitting at the table, tense as a lion cub, with a confused look in his eye. The second shot was of him, staring into space with wide shocked eyes, face covered in chocolate and white goop.

He continued looking through the album stopping occasionally to ponder on one, leave his comments on the unfairness of this or that situation. It was when he came to the tenth page of the album that he began to get confused. He knew that he had taken out several pictures of himself (recent pictures mind you) and had given them to friends and family, but he knew each and every picture he gave away... so why was he missing more than that of which he gave?

He decided not to dwell on it for now, and closed the album shut. He had at least three pages to fill up, most of them being school pictures and group pictures of him and his friends. So with that in mind, he stood up, dusted himself off to the best of his capability and walked down the stairs, not before turning and giving the room a rather childish raspberry.

* * *

After a long soak in the tub, Ryou found himself in his usual happy mood once again. It's amazing what a tub of hot water and lavender smelling bath oils can do to your body and your attitude!

Deciding that a small amount of self pampering was in store he decided that for supper, he would indulge himself with a little take out, and damnit he would eat as many cream puffs as he would please! He padded his way into the kitchen and noted that he still hadn't cleaned the wall from the morning; he squashed the compelling urge to clean it up, the night was his, he would clean it up tomorrow!

He shrugged his shoulders in determination and reached the fridge, opening the dairy drawer (like anyone actually uses these drawers as their labels tell them to) and retrieving his box of tasteful pastries. Grabbing a glass from one of the cupboards and pouring himself a glass of fruit juice returned to the couch to wait for his meal.

Exactly fifteen minutes later his meal had arrived. It wasn't anything fancy; just a few selected favorites from the small noodle house two blocks from his apartment complex. He turned his stereo on that was above the television and began to eat in a silence he hadn't experienced in a long time; a lonely silence.

The mood worsened as Ryou had to be subjected to the receiving end of 'sob night' music list. He was half tempted to turn the stereo off, and not put up with the songs playing, but he just couldn't. How could he, truthfully... it just completed his mood. Denying that things aren't going the way he would have liked.

_**Her birthday came and went without a card, or a single I love you  
**_**_On their anniversary she sat all alone at a table set for two_**  
_**She tries her best to please him, but she never hears one single word of praise  
**_**_She feels just like a stranger, in a home where love has seen its better days_**

He didn't understand it, how could having a relationship with him be like having a relationship with yourself? Yami and Yugi are an item, they were two halves of the same heart, and their relationship was fine. He was nothing like Bakura; the two of them were complete opposites! Well in some situations they weren't... was that the reason Bakura said no? Because they were too different?

_**Well he's taken her for granted  
**__**God only knows why she keeps hangin' on  
**_'_**Cause it's better to be gone, but not forgotten  
**__**Than to be forgotten, but not gone**_

Or maybe, was it because Bakura already loved someone? Did he reject Ryou because his heart lied with someone else?

_**Somehow he can't remember, when he's late to even take the time to call  
**__**And even on the nights he's there she gets the feeling he's not there at all  
**_**_She's become a prisoner in that big old house where sweet love use to be_**  
_**Well, it's not even over but Lord she feels just like a memory**_

"Whatever," He mumbled to himself, wiping tears from his cheeks, "Nothing matters, he obviously dislikes me enough that he would jump ship to Malik's than spend a day with me. Even if it was something as boring as cleaning... we could have made it fun."

_**Well he's taken her for granted  
**__**God only knows why she keeps hangin' on  
**_'_**Cause it's better be gone, but not forgotten  
**__**Than to be forgotten, but not gone**_

_That's another reason he probably left quickly, look at you, thinking about doing chores and turning them into a game._ His inner voice mocked.

'_**Cause it's better to be gone, but not forgotten  
**__**Gone but not forgotten  
**__**Than to be forgotten, but not gone**_

"I just wanted him to stay with me for a little while longer..." He finished softly.

Appetite long since gone, and a heart that seemed to weigh more than Atlanta forced him to stop hiding and just... let go.

Brown eyes turned to a pitiful murky mud color, bitter tears that had been gathering since the first time made their way down his face left salty tracks. His skin tightened and itched slightly from the tears, but he let them fall. He cried himself into exhaustion and soon fell asleep, tears still escaping and splashing on his photo album.

* * *

"You just left him there?" Malik asked shocked.

Bakura seemed to fidget under the two's wide-eyed gaze, somehow he had thought that they would just leave him alone on that subject like they did with most of the ones involving _him_.

"That was cold." Mariku sniffed. "You should have just told me you had made plans with Ryou, we could have done this," He said waving his hand at the empty bottles, "another time."

"As if I wanted to spend my day cleaning!" Bakura snapped back.

Malik looked down his nose at Bakura and with a disappointed frown on his lips replied, "If I do recall, you _did_ promise Ryou about something along those lines of cleaning when we dragged him to that waffle house."

"So?" He muttered, the wash of guilt building.

"And you _were_ one of the culprits who made a mess of the attic, because you were looking for the stashed alcohol." Mariku pointed out.

Baring his fangs at the two Bakura hissed out, "Yeah, well if I recall correctly you two were right there behind me! So why don't you go over there and help clean up?"

Both gave sadistic grins, "Because we weren't the ones who promised to help."

Bakura growled deeply inside his throat and helped himself to another bottle of beer, just as he was closing the refrigerator door a song started playing, and for some odd reason he just couldn't walk away. He reached out and turned the volume up higher just in time to catch a man's voice start singing a rather fast but still depressing song.

_**Well my friend you ask me what to do  
**__**If I were you and feeling blue  
**__**I know inside that you still care  
**__**You want her here, but she's out there  
  
**__**Don't leave her lonely too long  
**_'_**Cause she'll be gone, gone, gone  
**__**Don't leave her lonely too long  
**_'_**Cause she'll be gone, gone, gone**_

His hand tightened on the bottles neck not liking the emotions this song was sending to him. This song made him think of Ryou, and this was causing confusion because lately a lot of things were forcing him to think about his gentle half.

_**You still have time to change her mind  
**__**She needs to know the way you feel  
**__**And there could be no better time  
**__**You've got to show her your love is real  
  
**__**Don't leave her lonely too long,  
**_'_**Cause she'll be gone, gone, gone  
Don't leave her lonely too long  
'Cause she'll be gone, gone, gone**_

He could remember the day Ryou had pulled him away from their noisy group of friends and told him with a trembling voice and flushed red face, just how much he loved him. There was something inside of him moving, and it caught on fire, he didn't like the feeling that was going on inside of him, so he tried to scorch it out. He rejected Ryou, and the fire in his belly lightened down. Instead it became a dampening cold puddle in his chest.

_**There's strangers waiting in line  
**__**To take your place and leave you behind  
**__**And then too late you'll change your mind  
**__**Your heart will break a million times**_

Coincidence, Ryou had a mighty impressive line up of fans. Girls and boys from Domino and all around the world obsessed over his light; and out of all of them, out of the hundreds of people who would walk through fire for him, Ryou chose him.

He chose him, and he let Ryou go. All the boy had to do was ask and anyone could take Bakura's place, like for instance, that shark-headed one.

"Spike." He snickered to himself.

_**Don't leave her lonely too long  
**_'_**Cause she'll be gone, gone, gone  
**__**Don't leave her lonely too long  
**_'_**Cause she'll be gone, gone, gone  
**__**She'll be gone, gone, gone**_

The song was depressing, and he didn't like how it sent so many 'zings' of panic through his body. A rough hand slammed down on his shoulder, jostling him out of his private thoughts, and he turned around to deliver a glare to none other than Mariku.

The psycho just smiled and took a bored chug from his own bottle, "Thought you would have left by now." He finally said, his bottle dangling between his two fingers dangerously.

"I didn't know I was unwanted." He shot back.

"I didn't want to become a rude host." A sly grin.

He took several angry chugs of his own drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "Yeah, yeah. I can take a hint." He growled and started stomping towards the kitchen door.

"You know Bakura, it wouldn't hurt to try it out." Mariku called from behind him, "It's a scary thought but... the kid loves you a lot –too much if you ask me. I don't know why he pins over you."

"I never told him to!"

Mariku looked at him as one would a child who said something entirely stupid, "Just because you didn't tell him to mope doesn't mean he won't. Its depressing watching him get his hopes up about everything only to come out disappointed." He took another lazy swig, "You do know, there are other people who want to see him happy."

He glared over at his friend, "I know that, and I haven't stopped him from seeing anyone else. If someone wants to make him happy than fine."

"Oh. So that means I have your permission."

"What?" He turned around completely and stared into a deadly serious face, "B-but you have Malik!" He spluttered.

Mariku shrugged his shoulders and took another drink after saying, "Malik loves the kid too. We can share."

"No you can't! Ryou wouldn't be able to handle a three-partner relationship! So both of you keep your paws off!"

"But you said-"

"Fuck what I said! If I find out either of you have been hitting on Ryou I'll bring you a world of pain!" He yelled leaving the house, "So you better stay the hell away!"

Mariku watched his friend slam the front door close before breaking into a goofy grin, "Sucker."

* * *

He felt stupid, and cold walking down the deserted sidewalk. The buzz of alcohol had left and right at the moment he was just feeling nothing but a pissy mood walking up behind him. Cold because he forgot to grab his jacket before he made his over-dramatic exit, and stupid for all the things he said back at Malik's house.

Both Malik and Mariku had feelings for his light? When had that happened, where were the signs?

Well the two of them were always spending a lot of time with both of them, and whenever they had gone to watch a movie Mariku always made sure he was in between Ryou and Malik...

"This is so idiotic." He muttered to himself, "I'm acting like a jealous housewife." He finished sending a rock to meet its demise against a brick wall. His foot halted suddenly at what he just said, his eyes widening more as his words struck him deep.

He was.

He was jealous. He knew Ryou better than anyone; he had stayed with Ryou throughout everything. If Ryou were to be with anyone it should be him.

_Now you finally get it, you dumb ass!_ His inner self yelled.

"That's what those feelings were, I was excited!" Bakura finally realized, happy to know now what it was he was experiencing, "... And I said no. Of all the-ugh!" He groaned, smacking a fist to his forehead several times.

"So I guess that would also explain, why I also gave into the urge of taking these..." He said again, pulling out several small glossy sheets.

In the dim light from the lamppost he could see Ryou's smiling face frozen in many different ages. If only they had such things as cameras back in his day. He could name several people he would wish to have pictures of, but he could only rely on his memory, which was not something he could really safely rely on.

He smiled softly down at the photos before returning them to his pocket, one day he would remember to buy one of those books so he wouldn't have to worry about the pictures getting damaged.

Bakura pulled out the small brass key seeing as how he reached the front porch, sliding it in the lock and opening the door he could faintly hear the ending of another song, remarkably by the very same singer he had heard at Malik's.

_**How's it goin', might be what I'd say  
**__**You broke my heart ya know  
**__**Or it looks like rain today  
**__**Or God I've missed you  
**__**Since you went away  
**__**You're lookin' well  
**__**Or go to hell  
**__**Might be what I'd say  
**__**Or maybe God I've missed you since you went away  
**__**You're lookin' well  
**__**Or go to hell  
**__**Might be what I'd say**_

That was awfully strange, even for the radio...

_"Thank you and I hope your evening is looking exceptionally wonderful. Stay tuned and keep happy there will be plenty more Gary Allan on our Gary All-athon 11:00 hour!"_

Well that explained at least one mystery. Was that Shanghai noodles and spicy ribs he smelt? He padded into the home glancing in the kitchen and noted with a guilt-ridden mind that the breakfast he sneered at was still laying on the floor, and sticking to the walls.

He put his key on the table and grabbing a warm cloth wiped the mess away and put the broken dishes in the garbage. Turning off the light he followed the smell to the living room and stood and stared at the one person he finally admitting feelings too.

And there were tears on his face, and it looked like he just finished crying himself to sleep, and it looked like he left Ryou miserable again.

_**To you I'm just a man who let you down  
**__**The one who never gave you what you need  
**__**It's true I wasn't always around  
**__**Back when you were reaching out for me  
**__**I know you think I didn't care**_

How is that these songs playing tonight, all seem to be hitting so close to home?

"_But Bakura... you promised."_ Sad brown eyes looked at him in a form of betrayal.

_**You say I'm just the hurting kind  
**__**I know you think my heart wasn't there  
**__**But I'm begging you to think it through one more time**_

Bakura sat down softly beside Ryou and lifted the thick album off his small chest, and with a hesitant hand; petted the soft white locks and just continued giving the other small gentle touches, not realizing he was slowly waking the other up.

'_**Cause you don't know a thing about me  
**__**If you don't know how much I miss you  
**__**And you don't know a thing about me  
**__**Unless you know how much I need to be with you  
**__**Well I see the mistakes I made  
**__**The way I acted carelessly  
**__**But if you don't know how much I need your forgiveness  
**__**Then you don't know a thing about me**_

He started humming along, somewhere in the back of his mind knowing that he had heard this song before, but Ryou had a nice collection of country songs, so it wouldn't be unusual if Ryou had played this song before one time.

_**If I could just go back and make it right  
**__**And take these tears away you know I would  
**__**I'd come to you with no excuse tonight  
**__**Just a prayer that I'll be understood  
**__**You'll tell me that I'm never gonna change  
**__**How I'll always be the same old guy  
**__**You think there's nothing left for us to say  
**__**Before you write me off, take a look in my eyes**_

Bakura liked this song, it displayed how he felt to a certain extent, and it gave him a quiet relief knowing his feelings could be told for him. At least for now... A stir underneath his hand caused him to freeze up and a flare of panic struck through him. Soft eyes stared back into his own, finding everything he had hoped he wouldn't be able to see, and it tore him inside how they begged him with a silent question.

_Why?_ And _Do you mean it?_

"Yes."

And his face leaned in almost as if Ryou's lips were drawing him in. And a sweet hot kiss was shared in the glow of the lamp's light, the song slowly fading in the background.

'_**Cause you don't know a thing about me  
**__**If you don't know how much I miss you  
**__**And you don't know a thing about me  
**__**Unless you know how much I need to be with you  
**__**Well I see the mistakes I made  
**__**The way I acted carelessly  
**__**But if you don't know how much I need your forgiveness  
**__**Then you don't know a thing about me  
**__**If you don't know how much I need your forgiveness  
**__**Then you don't know a thing about me  
**__**No, you don't know a thing about me  
**__**You don't know a thing about me  
**_**_You don't know a thing abut me..._**

* * *

Once again I will ask, is this okay B.D?

I will also ask all of you, was this okay; I know it wasn't the greatest (I'm not the good with song fics, this is my second one!) but I tried my best, don't forget to wish a happy birthday to B.D in your reviews, and thanks for reading!


End file.
